In early days, you felt you could get Virat Kohli out every ball, and then now you can’t get him out at all: James Anderson

In contemporary cricket discourse, matchups have become a central theme. Yet, long before this term entered the lexicon of cricketing pundits, a compelling rivalry has quietly brewed over the past decade between two players exceptionally adept in their respective domains - James Anderson and Virat Kohli.

With Anderson having retired from white-ball international cricket long ago, the opportunities for their rivalry to manifest on the cricketing stage were significantly limited. However, whenever these encounters occurred, they provided an engaging and captivating spectacle. The allure of these battles was so compelling that even Anderson, who recently played his final international match against the West Indies, couldn't resist reflecting on the numerous duels he engaged in with Kohli.

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Initially, Anderson remarked that the overall experience was variably fluctuating, noting some series as exceptional and others less so, not just for himself but for all bowlers. He then reflected on the 2014 tour when India visited England, highlighting Anderson's success against Kohli, dismissing him on five occasions in ten innings. He also observed that during Kohli's earlier years, he appeared easier to bowl to and seemed susceptible to dismissal every ball, but in recent times (referring to the most-recent tours in 2021 and 2018), Anderson felt frustrated by his inability to dismiss him, which left him feeling menial.

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"You go so up and down. Some series, you feel amazing and some not quite on it, and a batter gets the better of you. Playing against Virat Kohli in the early days, you felt you could get him out every ball, and then recently like you can’t get him out at all. You feel so inferior," shared Anderon on Sky Sports.

To provide further statistical context to the extensive history between them, Kohli encountered Anderson across 36 innings, accumulating 305 runs from 710 deliveries. During these encounters, Kohli struck a total of 39 boundaries and was dismissed seven times.